Into The Storm
by LaylaEvercrest
Summary: Forced apart due to of their forbidden love, Squall must make a choice between the love of his life and the only world he has ever known. *Part of the 'Into Thin Air' timeline, although it's not necessary to read that story before enjoying this. This is what would have happened had Squall not disappeared from the timeline. Squinoa


Beta:h34rt1lly

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 **ooo00oo**

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 **Into The Storm**

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Notes: This is one shot is part of the 1000 Island Dressing favorite writers are trying to take preselected smut words and write them into a classy, sensual, yet lemony scene. I decided to make this one step further and write from a male perspective. Not just any male either, Squall's. This one shot is within the 'Into Thin Air' timeline. This is what would have happened had Squall not disappeared from the timeline. The next chapter of 'Into Thin Air' will briefly touch on this, so it will be a good companion piece. However, this is rated **M** and is intended for mature audience. Enjoy.

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It seemed facing certain death triggered less anxiety than the current situation the commander found himself in. Social gatherings in any configuration never served in Squall's favor. Not only did it highlight his social ineptness, but it also destroyed the little respect he had for the leaders he had to work for on a daily basis.

Loud and obnoxious drunks were dispersed throughout Balamb's ballroom, shouting at each other as if they were not shoulder-to-shoulder.

How could they forget that even in times like these, he would be judging them? It was beyond Squall's understanding. He would be far less impartial on the ones he caught preying on young female cadets.

For these reasons, Squall used to make sure his name was listed first for transport if a mission conflicted with a social event.

Tonight though, everything was different. Not that his movements weren't stiff from unease, no— that would always be there. But for the first time he felt alive.

The room had filled to capacity as the live orchestra kept the dancers moving in choreographed waves. He did his best to move past the tiresome individuals who tried their hardest to acquire his attention. He was only there for one thing, and that one thing seemed to call to him through a song no one else could hear.

Even in a room with hundreds of others, the commander would always spot her right away. It wasn't even the bond that drew him- no; it was just because of who she was.

Even the crowd would part in quiet awe of her presence. Men would look at her like she was Hyne's gift to mere mortals while the women spoke about her in hushed tones.

In reality, it was the way Rinoa carried herself with open confidence; it was as if she could not understand what others saw when they looked at her. Thankfully, he still had his sight and was now being rewarded with how she warmed upon seeing him.

The smirk that followed taunted him into reciprocating, until he became distracted by what she had chosen to wear tonight. The dress, if it even qualified as one, left nearly nothing to one's imagination. The little it did leave would consume his attention entirely.

The color matched her loose curls and plunged precariously low in the front, making the milky white landscape it attempted to cover all the more highlighted.

Cruelly, the only thing able to draw his attention away from there was the slit traveling in the other direction. As she moved towards him, her long legs became exposed. It looked as if she took one wrong move the dress would fall off of her completely. It was for that simple reason that he could not look up when she greeted him.

"Commander Leonhart." Her voice was laced with amusement while watching him struggle with his efforts.

Trying to reign himself in, he cleared his throat to serve as an apology before receiving a soft, friendly kiss on the cheek.

"Rinoa," he acknowledged weakly.

The area that her lips brushed against seared with a burning heat that caused their bond to awaken as if it had not been a causality of time. When she pulled back, the sweet smell of lavender oil hung in the air between them.

"You look well, " she said, flashing a brilliant smile. Gods know she came by her beauty naturally, but with her lips painted a deep scarlet, they sung to his blood, making him thirsty for hers.

A reply was needed, but his mind happened to be absent with how to respond appropriately.

"Distracted today?" Rinoa's voice dipped an octave as if taunting him to say what was on his mind. She had no idea that she stroked a sleeping lion that was more than willing to oblige her.

Collecting himself, he met her gaze and with his tone secured underneath his breath, said, "There is little fabric to that dress."

The smoky haze that accented her eyes would not cover the surprise hidden in them at his forwardness. Hell, she was the one who declared war. Next time she would be wiser not to pick someone as tactfully skilled at winning as he was.

She could only regard him wordlessly for a moment before her natural instinct to laugh allowed her to turn away from him.

Still smiling, she looked back to him with words only meant for his hearing.

"There's even less underneath it…Commander."

His eyes had pegged her with a mixture of marvel and curiosity, before a drunken shout that came from across the room thwarted any further dialog.

"Sorceress Heartilly!"

Startled by the sudden call, Rinoa's gaze raised to find a man who was more round then particularly tall, slithering his way through the crowd to see her.

Squall recognized the fourth council member due to the threadbare gray toupee he sported as means to fool the public at large. The old man's vices were anything that could be snorted, drank, or slept with- particularly young women.

Sure enough, the new flavor of the week was flouncing on his arm, whose hair was dyed peculiarly like the cherry stem she was chewing on.

Squall disliked the way men devoured Rinoa with fervor wherever she went. Rinoa seemed to read this from the glint in his eyes because before the old man could reach them, she placed a calming hand on his arm.

"Relax, the old pecker is harmless for the most part." She tried to instill calmness into him with her words. If those words were supposed to put him at ease, it failed miserably causing Rinoa to retract her touch.

"Hyne's greatest creation, you're truly a vision tonight." The councilman leaned into kiss Rinoa's cheek.

Squall's scowl likely matched that of the politician's escorts'. Scorned, the girl glanced towards Squall and all but halted, as her intrigue required her to undress him with her eyes.

With his patience waning, Squall grabbed two glasses of champagne from the passing waiter. At times like this, he was thankful it was a socially acceptable to use numbing agents at parties.

Rinoa's best qualities were the ones he lacked. He could easily watch her for hours navigate social exchanges with ease and never understand her process for it. Her social grace and warm approach made even made the most arduous people break under her pressure. It was truly admirable.

Finding an opportunity between boring pleasantries, Squall divided them once more to hand Rinoa the other glass of champagne. Only then was his presence made aware to the aging councilman.

"Commander Leonhart!" he greeted as if he had not been standing there the whole time. "You know, I almost forgot you two knew each other for a moment."

Amused by his foolishness, he jarred with laughter, losing much of his drink to his suit and the floor beneath him.

Unimpressed by the sight, Squall figured the alcohol could only help the Thousand Island dressing stain donning the man's coat.

Apathetic to the councilman, Leonhart said nothing, forcing the sorceress next to him to keep the peace. "It's been awhile, but something about surviving time compression leaves a pretty vivid impression, right Squall?"

He slammed his drink down for an answer, leading Rinoa to laugh with exhaustion.

"Still a talker, I see." Rinoa raised her glass to him, and only then did Squall realize that a crowd had gathered around them.

"It's difficult to believe it's been two years since the last war," the older man mused. "You two have grown up nicely since then. Tell us commander, who's the lucky lady with you tonight?"

He loathed these kinds of situations. It appeared as if his personal business was newsworthy. Everyone had surrounded them and seemed to be taking meticulous notes in case something of importance could be sold to the media waiting outside.

"Just working tonight." He backed out of answering, only instigating the girl with the cherry stem to inch closer.

"That's a shame; you look so handsome." The escort reached out to brush his lapel, but caught something in his look that gave her hand pause.

She quickly redirected, "Doesn't he, Ms. Heartilly?"

Amused, Rinoa nodded approvingly, "Dashing."

Oblivious to the loss of his date, the old man placed a hand on the small of Rinoa's back.

Attempting to not react, Leonhart favored scanning the room, rather than focusing on what he could not control.

"He's just being coy. No doubt the man will have a warm body or two in his bed tonight."

Leonhart's jaw locked as his sight settled on the old man. His thoughts leaped right out of him, "It would take someone extraordinary to keep my attention. She would be second to none."

Rinoa's glass never made it to her lips as the onlookers nodded, appreciating the unusual sentiments for what they were. He had no idea if they all did it to humor him, but it seemed to draw in a half a dozen females towards him.

"And what about you Ms. Heartilly?" The overtly flirtatious man rubbed her back. "Anyone special in your life?"

Unfazed, Rinoa smiled. "Five or six, actually."

The group seemed to find that answer amusing, but Squall failed to humor her with anything more than an icy stare. That was all but interrupted when a knotted cherry stem fell into his empty glass.

With his attention redirected, he saw the red-headed woman had somehow isolated him within the group.

Pressing her lips into a thin line, she trying to determine what he was endowed with below the belt. "Tell me, Commander, do you enjoy cats?"

An eyebrow raised at the thick Dollet accent that gave her words a decidedly nasally sound. She grabbed his free hand and shoved it right between her legs.

"Cause I've got a pussy cat you can stroke," she explained in a heady breath, with precarious green eyes that matched his in intensity.

Mortified by the unexplainable turn of events, all Squall could manage to do was sharply withdraw his hand with no further retaliation. The last thing he sought was for others to be made aware of the scene.

Surprised by the rejection, the woman gave the commander a dawdling look before offering an impassive shrug on her way past him.

His body then felt like it was on fire. There was no need to look up to know that it was Rinoa whose eyes seared into him with rage. The last thing he wanted to do was face her like this, but he knew that she deserved at least some sort of acknowledgment of the events that just played out.

He allowed himself to stabilize mentally before looking up at the empty spot where she once stood. The internal cursing that ensued would have made Irvine proud.

He hurried to scan the room, finally spotting her quick attempt at an exit.

He would be damned if this were how the night ended.

With haste, he maneuvered through the guests with little care if he knocked over their drinks. For once he was glad for the impractical shoes that woman wore. It was because of them that he had the advantage in catching up to her.

He seized her wrist and pulled her in the opposite direction.

"May I have this dance?" he asked rhetorically to cover the outrageous behavior he was displaying. Any protests she made he swiftly ignored.

It was a reversal of what happened over two years ago. Now as an adult, he dragged a reluctant woman through the crowded ballroom while she nearly tripped over her heels in a bid to keep up.

He found safety near the orchestra; few would have the opportunity to overhear any argument they would have.

Pulling her body into his, he failed to miss a beat as he led her into a waltz that only time could have perfected.

Rinoa appeared calm on the outside, but he could see the internal anger in her eyes as she looked beyond his shoulder.

Frustrated by the lack of response, he did the best he could in engaging her in a conversation. "Five or six boyfriends, really?"

He watched her swallow, before choosing how to address that. "Might be a slight exaggeration."

"You think?" He drove home, finally getting the reaction he wanted.

With eyes filled with disdain, Rinoa glimpsed at him. "I can't believe you're touching me with that hand."

Tensing, he replied stiffly, "You know I did not initiate it."

"Just enjoyed it a little too much," she mumbled underhandedly.

He stopped dancing and stared at her incredulously. "That's not fair."

"A lot of things are unfair." Rinoa avoided his eye contact. From that, he knew something more than one aggressive woman was the root cause for her anger.

"We can't talk about this now, " he reminded her. Far too many eyes were on them for him to feel safe to have this discussion in public.

"You're right." She laughed, but it was the kind that usually came before tears. "There is nothing for you and I to talk about, is there?"

"Don't," he begged her.

"After all, it's not like I have some sort of claim on you anyways, right?" Right then, she dropped all pretenses of dancing and pulled away from him, "I'm not stopping you Squall. If you want to go fuck her, be my guest. It doesn't mean a fucking thing to me."

"Seriously?" he inquired, insulted, but his answer was her making a decisive exit from the dance floor.

Left standing alone, Squall quenched the need to drag his fingers through his hair or act on any other sign of distress that would signal someone to their fight.

As calmly as he could muster, he traced her exit out into Garden's main hall but found no traces of her. Hell, it was like she had disappeared into thin air. Turning around, Leonhart saw a few people at the end of the hall but not one of them matched Rinoa's stature.

Flustered now, Squall granted himself permission to push his hair back as he recounted the whole ordeal in detail in order to find the source of her anger. Coming up with the same unhelpful results forced him to let out a verbal curse. He paced back and forth from uncertainty as a group of young cadets exited from the women's bathroom.

With renewed hope, he had to take a calculated risk. "Is a girl with dark hair in a black dress in there?"

The schoolgirls turned to him with a blank look, forcing him to repeat himself.

One nodded as the others dragged her away, giggling about their interaction. He closed his eyes, hoping that none of that would get back to anyone important. The last thing either one of them needed was attention on them with the board members breathing down their necks.

Still, he set his sights on the bathroom in front of him and worry filled him knowing that the next time they may see each other could be weeks if not months apart. Just like she was, he was stifled by the oppression surrounding them and their interactions. He knew that this plan of his was a horrible idea. The problem was, he was all out of fucks to give.

He needed to know that she was ok. Hell, he needed to know if they were ok. The rest of the world could go to hell.

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Stealth was key, as he waited a few minutes to ensure no one would see him slip through the bathroom door. That was not even the most dangerous part; the real concern was if others were occupying it.

He could play it off as a drunken mistake, but it would only result in a coin toss if he would be allowed to keep his job. No doubt the board looked for any reason to rake him over the coals for the trouble he causes them.

What he saw was unexpected. A small seating area that included two chairs and a love seat greeted him. At first he was perplexed by their need but saw that he was getting sidetracked. Through another door, he saw all the stalls were open except one.

He turned around and spotted a deadbolt on the door behind him. Careful to not make a sound, he flipped it just as the occupied stall opened. She did not sense his presence as she stifled a small sniffle and went to wash her hands in the sink.

Moving towards the doorframe, his movements startled her into looking up making him come to a stop .

He watched her stumble through a few emotions but finally settled on laughing in disbelief. Clearly this was all too much for her at this moment.

"Commander Leonhart, if anyone saw you come in here, they're going to think you're a pervert," she warned him, before turning on the could feel her anger through the perfected charade she displayed. Was she trying to avoid talking to him about this? If that was the case things were dire.

"You doubt my stealth capabilities?" he asked, as he folded his arms across his chest impassively.

"Someone could come in," she pointed out without looking at him, there was a coldness in her voice that told him she didn't want to talk.

He walked up to the bathroom's door frame and leaned against it, folding his arms across his chest. "Difficult to do with a locked door."

Her eyes darted to him again. He knew she was questioning where his mind went. Hell, she probably was wondering if he was drunk, but that was the farthest thing from the truth. For once, he felt at ease with his actions.

"We were talking about those boyfriends of yours," he prompted.

She watched him with caution as she turned to lean against the vanity. Hyne, she could be mad about the Dollet streetwalker, but she was also in the wrong for bringing in imaginary people.

"Fine, there's only one boyfriend. Let's talk about him." She offered pointedly. "I should warn you, it's serious and I doubt he would like this scenario very much."

His eyes narrowed as he took that in and decided to play along, "Is that so?"

Giving him an uncertain nod, she watched as he picked himself off from the doorway and started to stalk towards her.

"He's a stickler for the rules and I'm pretty sure this is a rather large infraction you're making," she pointed out, nervous from the wild look in his steel eyes. "I don't think he'd ever admit to being the jealous type, but his actions tend to give it away."

He now had her pinned to the sink's vanity as he towered over her. She licked her lips and swallowed as if her heart had climbed into her throat.

"If he's so jealous, why isn't he here?" he challenged her.

Her mind was blank, and it appeared the game was no longer funny to her as he saw her get caught up in real emotions.

"Work. He's always working." Those words escaped in a near voiceless manner. "He's been gone for three months, and when I finally see him, he pretends to not know me."

He studied her fallen expression as she looked down. She was close to crumbling from what they had to endure to keep connected. Forced always to speak to each other as if someone was listening, the two of them could never indicate there was more between them than a past.

At first, this was a way of protecting themselves from others and for a while it mostly felt like a game. But in reality, it was to comfort the world that grew terrified by the notion of love between a sorceress and her knight. Especially of a knight who commanded an entire Garden.

His voice was nothing more than a low rumble coming from his chest. "How could he do that to you?"

Crestfallen, she would not look at him, causing him a pang of guilt that no vice could ever relieve.

She stifled a sniffle as her brows knitted together to prevent any additional damage to her makeup. "I ask myself that same question every time he leaves."

A silent stalemate held them both, as he watched her wondering which side of the line he would fall on. SeeD had forbidden him from enacting on his feelings with her, but whenever Rinoa was involved, he seemed to betray his best interests.

Squall tried to act on the better strategy for winning what he wanted, but the path he chose costs him more than he has gained. Her earlier outburst of anger had burnt out into a quiet submission giving him reasons to be concerned. Before, he thought he could have it all, but time was proving to be against him as she looked away. Squall had to find a new strategy, and the one that came to mind decided it was better to crash and burn as long as it brought him closer to her.

"Fuck them," he responded sharply while his hand speared through the thick curls along her jawline. He brought her lips to his as if it were an act of contrition for being so late to this conclusion. The shock of how great his need for her was made Rinoa gasp in surprise, but to him this should have happened long ago. For that he needed to beg her for her mercy.

His free arm went to her waist feeling the silk-like fabric of her dress through war-torn skin. It felt good, but it was nothing compared to what laid hidden underneath. Her hands grabbed for his lapel but paused unsure of how to respond further than that. His goal was to make her forget about all the doubts tearing through her mind as it raced to catch up with his.

Her lips somewhat parted as if to moan, but he took a risk and slipped his tongue through, intertwining his with hers, leaving her breathless.

It was as if time had never affected them. Together, they fell into step knowing what the other desired before it had to be said.

Rinoa pulled him forward, and his heavy weight crashed against her small frame. The feeling of her under him brought out his natural instinct to protect and guard her and reminded him how much he missed her presence next to him. Despite his distance, they would always be bound to each other in more ways than one.

Heat swept through the weakened bond, as the two embraced the surge of emotions that deepened their kiss. While both of their hands roamed freely over exposed skin, he knew time was against them and would not tolerate his wish for leisurely exploration.

Peeling away, he abandoned his post for the sensitive patch of skin behind her ear. Closing her eyes, she softly moaned into his neck as her hands wrapped around him. That sound was stronger than any drug and astonishingly more dangerous, but he knew it was far too late for him. He was an addict, and his body was pressuring him to go to great lengths to obtain more of those sounds.

"Not here, Squall," she cried under duress.

Those words made him pull back, as he bore into the eyes he would die for.

Breathing heavily he implored her, "If you don't want this, all you have to do is order me to stop. You know I'll be compelled to listen."

Her bruised lips opened to speak, but he could already see the answer lingering in her smoky eyes. Her body already knew what it wanted, her mind just had not realized it until now.

Rinoa leaned forward, hooking her arms around his neck before crashing into him with a feverish kiss that ignited a storm within him. Taking her by the waist, Squall lifted her up onto the counter top where together, they tumbled through their complicated emotions.

He felt her hands brush against his hardening member through his formal slacks making his legs nearly buckle beneath him. Seeing him fall from pleasure, she made broad strokes down its length, making him groan with need. Fighting his wants, Leonhart glared at the dress that had offended him. The dress's lower slit was already showing an indecent amount of her leg thanks to her position on the sink. It would take nothing at all for him to expose her completely.

"There's too much fabric to this dress," he complained while taking a gentle bite of her lower lip.

Looking down, he planted small kisses on her collarbone as her legs parted for him to step into. One hand held the small of her back for a brief moment before catching the zipper with two fingers. A taut pull was all it required to cause slack in the straps that held her modesty.

Righting himself, Squall watched as she became exposed. The scrutiny they received made her perfect breasts rise and fall rapidly.

"I'd start wars for you, you know that?" He spoke the truth while running his hands over them tenderly.

She bit into her lips as her black hair spilled over her shoulder. Her wants were starting to override the caution she first displayed. "That's what they are afraid of."

He leaned in and took one of her soft nipples into his mouth while his left hand cupped the other. Rinoa's head dropped back sending a cascade of tussled ink hair down her back. The more he taunted her, the faster her chest would stagger. He loved the control he could exert over her. It was about the only time he could control her.

Taking her nipple into his mouth, he lavished it with entrenched kisses before surprising her with a sharp inhale. Responding to the contrast in temperature, Rinoa whimpered as her nipple grew firm. Giving into a rare smile, he dispensed relief with his tongue once more while his thumb rolled itself over her other one.

Rinoa's hands were on his jacket, and he agreed that it was far too warm in here for it now. He regretfully pulled away and shrugged out of it, allowing it to fall to the ground with little care.

A seductive smile from her made his return. Freed from his confines, he allowed his focus to go to her legs. His finger ran up the outer length of them, indulging in their smoothness, until they disappeared underneath the dress altogether. He paused then finding something he hadn't expected.

Looking up at her, she sheepishly avoided his gaze as he raised an eyebrow.

"You're a liar," he accused in a whisper that verged on being provocative.

Refusing to admit to anything, Rinoa leaned back, lifting herself off the vanity for Squall to hook his fingers underneath her lacy thong.

With that, he took a more advantageous position by kneeling and worked the thin garment down her legs. Taking his time, he trailed kisses down her creamy skin before pulling his focus to getting them around her shoes. Rinoa pointed her feet granting him permission to slip the skimpy fabric around the black heels. When finished, he realized it gave him clear access to her closed knees.

His fingers pushed through them and spread her legs apart leaving no room for modesty. He could sense her unease at being exposed like this, but he could not follow her reasonings for it. He wished he could explain how her body moved him as he eyed the white and supple skin merging into dark pink folds. Above there, well-trimmed hair accented her femininity making his body ache to touch.

Squall never felt the need to pray to something he couldn't see, at least, not with her by his side. She was the closest thing to a deity that he ever felt needing to worship. He knew she needed to hear those words, but like always, his words fell short.

Instead, he had to find other ways to enlighten her.

Trailing small kisses along her inner thigh, he buried himself in the soft skin and sweet scent that was as unique as it was an aphrodisiac. A soft moan left her lips, as she watched him cast the first lick through her folds.

Looking up at her briefly, he centered himself while repeating the same action inciting more cries. She struggled to remain in control as every nerve ending was punished with lavish strokes of his tongue. Her taste was sweet against his lips, making him want more than what he already had.

He enjoyed watching her fall to pieces for him. Every time he circled her clit, he would return to run his tongue across its breadth causing her body fall into spasms. Rinoa, lost in her pleasure, gripped the counter as if it was the only thing keeping her from being swept away.

His plans were nearly ruined from a loud knock that came from the door.

Instinctively, Rinoa tried to move away from him, but unsatisfied Squall grabbed her legs and doubled his efforts to keep her under his constraint. His tongue swollen from her kisses, darted in and out of her, all but making her forget the voices that faded away from the door.

Straightening himself, he pulled away but continued his stimulation with his thumb rubbing it over tender nerves. Flushed from her enjoyment, Rinoa's hips were now moving to act with him. She looked so damn good; he needed to know how she felt from the inside.

Taking over once more with his mouth, he slid one finger in and almost went weak with how wet she was. He added a second finger while meticulously moving them in and out of her. Soon he started to feel her natural fluids build up against his hand. More than anything, he wanted to drag this out for her, but his response to how she gripped him after all this time was making him lose his self-control.

Feeling the conflict through the bond, she stilled herself to acquire his attention.

"I need to feel you too," her voice was ragged as she breathed in deeply.

Never breaking from her watchful gaze, he stood up in front of her and hurried with the buttons of his pressed shirt. He wanted more than anything to just rip them loose, but the consequences of that would only prove to cause them problems later.

Thankfully, Rinoa seemed as interested in this process as if it was a deliberate strip tease. He caught a flicker of a smile when his abdomen became exposed. It was the one of the benefits of his profession; one she appreciated by running her fingers over the deep grooves that defined him. The sensitivity of that action produced him to recoil but lit a fire down below. He worked quickly to kick off his shoes and socks but found her hands undoing his belt.

Unable to exert control, Rinoa pulled his at his dress pants and boxers down all at once, allowing gravity to handle the rest as she appreciated his build.

The situation, accompanied by the long detour into foreplay, had already made his cock swell to its peak. Entranced by it, her fingers encircled it and slowly dragged its skin back and forth.

"Shit," he swore out loud, gaining a rueful look from his captor.

"Don't let the board catch you swearing," she taunted as if a swear word was their greatest offense tonight.

Separating her legs once more, she coaxed him towards her entrance and ran his head against her. Squall groaned from the pain of not being in her. Enthralled by this, Rinoa did it again, taunting his sensitive nerve endings with her wet sex.

"You're playing with fire," he cautioned her, but it fell on deaf ears as his shaft slid up the length of her sex on her command. He could see the challenge in her eyes. She questioned how far he was willing to go tonight as if she doubted his determination.

"Don't say I didn't warn you, " he snarled, pushing the rosy head of his cock past the swollen resistance that had met him.

A gasp followed by his name echoed in the room as he felt her encompass him. The tightness from the lack of activity, combined with her arousal, made it difficult for him to make it fully in without another attempt at reentry.

He pulled out, breathless from want, and returned, plunging deeper than he had before. Rinoa inhaled deeply as her body worked to accommodate all of him.

"Hyne..." Her voice rasped making his head drop into the crook of her neck. Her legs draped over his sides as he initiated a rhythm that would cause them both to grow helpless.

Being inside of her melted the ice that once clung to his exterior. He could feel himself become warmer, less damaged, or distant. With her, the possibilities seemed endless to who he could be. Buried within her, the idea that he could be more than just a killing machine seemed almost plausible. He could kiss her lips, her collarbone, show his love by running his fingers through her hair. It was liberating to be allowed to be someone to this woman who held him.

Her demand came in the form of a hot breath whisper in his ear, "Couch."

With her lips stealing his, Squall lifted her from the cold hard surface and stumbled towards the seating area.

Being drunk from the mixture of love and lust, they both spilled onto the small sofa that struggled to hold them both. Impatient, Rinoa ran her hands over her breasts taunting him with a look that could set him ablaze. Gods, he had no intention of letting her go after this.

Rejoining her, he rewarded her with long strokes that threatened to unravel her completely. If he lost his job over this moment, it would all be worth it. He no longer gave a damn what the world thought of their love.

Her nails raked his back while the muscles in his back contracted to lift them both in favor for a deeper angle. Her lips trailed along his shoulder as his tempo picked up once more.

"Squall." She spoke his name like a song. He looked down to see himself gliding into her, making her shiver under his weight.

Hot and urgent pants left her mindless. Her flesh ground into his pelvis making his balls tighten in anticipation of his own release.

"I won't last if you keep doing that, " he warned her through uneven breaths.

Undeterred, she only made her moves bolder and more vigorous. With each thrust, her breasts sprang up in response. Hyne, he would not win this fight with the way her inner walls gripped him.

In response, he drove himself deeper, making her hips meet his aggressively. Rinoa cried out, feeling the build up of fire flow through her core, body, and bond. It was all proving to be too much as he filled her repeatedly with himself. He could see she was about to lose it all.

Knowing it to be true, Rinoa captured his lips in a desperate bid not to fall over the edge.

Seeing her motives, he broke away and leaned his forehead against hers. "Don't fight it."

He sensed it then, her body swelled against him as she surrendered to the fight she could not win. Long heaving breaths left her body shaking from the termors of her release.

Her cumming loudly against him was music to his ears as his body seized and spilled into her in waves.

After that, his body went into its own kind of shock. He struggled to keep a hold of himself and not disappear into the bond they shared. It now had a sort of peace he hadn't known he craved. If he surrendered to it, he risked never finding his way out.

Falling to her chest, he listened to the fast rhythmic beat coming from the love box buried within her. Lying there it seemed as if the world had changed on him. What used to make sense now frightened him, and he feared of having to leave this space.

No, he realized it wasn't the world that had changed— It was him. Whether he liked it or not, Rinoa Heartilly had changed him into someone else, someone who wanted more than a single moment like this. One thing was evident, he could do without Garden, but he couldn't make it without her. He was failing on his own. He just didn't know how to admit it until now.

For once it all seemed simple. There were no options to weigh as he licked his love worn lips and built up the strength to tell her.

"I'm resigning from SeeD."

She said nothing, but he knew from the sound of her raging heart, that she had heard him.

He lifted himself from her chest, only to see eyes laced with panic.

"Where will you go?" she asked.

He studied her for a while until he realized her question was genuine and not a part of the elaborate game they played.

"I'll go to Timber with you," he answered, lifting her hand to kiss its palm tenderly.

He was expecting her face to light up, but instead hesitation greeted him.

"The world will find out about us if you do." Her voice was cold making him burn with frustration.

She didn't understand that this wasn't some whim of his in the moment of passion. He was as sure of this, as he was of jumping out into space for her.

"Good," he stated, drawing her to look at him finally.

He twisted her black hair between his fingers. "It's simple, Rinoa. I'm tired of the lies we have to tell everyone- including ourselves. I want to be able to look at you for as long as I want to in public. I should be able to dance with you all night and wake up with you the next morning, and make love through the afternoon if that's what I want. We deserve that. Hell, we deserve more than that for the shit we've been through. I don't see why it's anyone's business if I should want to marry you-"

Her eyes widened, and he immediately closed his mouth with embarrassment. Either he wasn't able to communicate at all or he tended to over share his thoughts. He never seemed to be able to find the middle ground.

"Someday," he clarified. "If we both want the same thing, I don't want to be in a position where I can't have what I want."

Neither one spoke after that. Silently, they redressed, knowing their absence would soon be questioned.

Slipping into his jacket, Leonhart saw the deep creases in his shirt and surmised that he could not go back to the party looking like this.

A sigh escaped him as he turned to the raven beauty struggling with the zipper on her dress.

Slipping behind her, he pressed light kisses onto her neck as he forced the zipper up with regret. She turned around taking his hands in hers.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Looking at her made his insecurities grow. If he had used the word stunning before to describe her, she was now smoldering, with her hair tousled, and makeup smudged. It was enough to make men think about sex, and he didn't relish that idea at all.

"You have something of mine," she reminded him.

His hand slipped into the front pocket of his pants and felt the lacy underwear he had removed from her earlier.

Feeling irritated from not being able to bring her home tonight, he had to settle for the next best thing.

With some arrogance, he shrugged, "I'll give it back to you in Timber."

He could still see the doubt in her eyes, but he meant every word he said tonight. It would take time, but he was done with SeeD.

He came forward and planted a kiss on her forehead, breathing in her scent one last time to sustain him until they could meet again.

* * *

 **ooo000ooo**

* * *

Escaping unnoticed was the primary concern Leonhart had. As he closed the bathroom door behind him, he was perplexed by the vacant hallway and nearly tripped over a cone that had was placed in front of the door.

Looking down the bold word 'closed' was printed on it. Peering around he saw no one he could attribute this too. Uninterested in wasting time on solving a mystery by getting caught, Squall turned a sharp left towards the west side of Garden.

As he made it a few yards, he felt a pair of eyes on him and looked over to see Irvine clad in a cream suit drinking from a silver flask.

Taking a long swig, he raised it in Leonhart's honor before cryptically asking, "Having a good night?"

Leonhart studied him for a moment before responding, "I suppose I have you to thank for that?"

Irvine shrugged while looking away from the commander, "Just helping a brother out. I'd say you'd do the same for me, but I kind of doubt that."

Squall felt a smirk tug at him but instead, only gave the cowboy a nod before resuming his path.

* * *

 **ooo000ooo**

* * *

 **Layla's Corner**

* * *

 **ooo000ooo**

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So there you have it. I hope you enjoyed it enough to write a review. Hell, leave a review if you hated it too!


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